Presidency of Kelly Ayotte
The Presidency of began at noon on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. Ayotte, a Republican and former junior United States Senator from , became the 46th and first female . She defeated the candidate in the 2020 election, a historic contest as the nominees from both major parties were women. Her running mate, , a Congressman from Michigan, became the 49th . Major issues at the time of her election were the Kurdistan-Iraq peace process, the expansion of to house former ISIS militants, and the Fulmer Leaks. She took office with a Democratic-controlled Senate and a Republican-controlled House, mimicking the status quo of the majority of President 's tenure. Hoping to avoid deadlock, she sought to work with Senate Democrats through her plan to reduce the federal debt and raise national revenue. She proposed a national sales tax, the revenue of which would be directed to federal social programs, letting senior Democratic Senators and Representatives control over exactly how funds would be appropriated. Other initiatives her she undertook during her first term were reforms to the Department of Veterans Affairs, passing the Arteries of America Act (officially known as the Eisenhower Interstate System and other Major Roadways Repair Act of 2021), beginning the process of normalizing relations with Iran, and continuing President Trump's immigration reforms. In September 2023, she confirmed her intention to run for a second term in the 2024 election. 2020 campaign and election Ayotte announced her intention to run for President on February 19, 2019 after it was revealed the incumbent President, would not be seeking a second term, an unusual break from presidential tradition. She was joined by seven other major candidates from her own party including Senator from Texas, Senator from Kentucky, South Carolina Governor , and former wrestling star and actor . She struggled initially to win delegates in the 2020 Republican primaries due to her status as a newcomer and lack of name recognition. She campaigned on a platform of continuing Trump's work as President (despite refusing to endorse him in 2016). Her performance improved significantly after the first quarter of primaries were held, over taking the lead from Senator Paul but still falling short of surpassing Cruz. She had a major break on Super Tuesday in which she won eight of the twelve states participating, matching Trump's performance in the 2016 GOP primaries. Having overtaken Cruz in delegate count, it became apparent by May 2020 that she would be the first woman to lead the Republican ticket. On July 6, 2020, the day after Republican National Convention, she announced she had selected Michigan Representative Justin Amash as her running mate. Amash, who is considered to be part of the Tea Party and Libertarian factions of the U.S. Congress, helped to bolster what Ayotte referred to as "Sensible conservatism". Cabinet Ayotte, upon taking office, elected to retain most of Trump's cabinet. Ayotte Cabinet January 20, 2021 — present First 100 days During her first week as president, Ayotte issued several executive orders that continued U.S. immigration policy reforms. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 2021 was the first legislation signed by Ayotte which contained provisions that repealed much the Hart–Celler Act. It re-instituted the National Origins Formula with the goal of reducing illegal and unskilled immigration, especially from countries like Mexico. Foreign policy Social issues